Mac Jones Help Comes Too Late in Patriots Trade Speculation

The 2023 NFL season is slipping away from the New England Patriots as they bring a 1-5 record into their Week 7 clash with the rival Buffalo Bills. While many issues have played a role in the Patriots' underwhelming start, one glaring problem has been the lack of production from the wide receiver room.

New England's WRs have been awful for the most part this season. Kendrick Bourne's team-leading 307 receiving yards are 164 more than his next fellow wideout. Bourne is also the only receiver on the Pats who's found the end zone this season. Simply inexcusable.

With the Oct. 31 trade deadline looming, it's expected that NFL experts are throwing around trades that could potentially fix the Patriots' wideout situation. Unfortunately, any deal happening within the next two weeks would come much too late.

Patriots Trade Rumors

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox lists two wide receivers as potential trade targets for the Patriots: the Denver Broncos' Jerry Jeudy and Las Vegas Raiders' Hunter Renfrow.

With the Broncos struggling and his being from the previous management regime, it makes sense why Jeudy would be available. His 222 receiving yards on 20 catches through five games aren't eye-popping, but he's only 24 years old and could have his best football ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Renfrow has fallen out of favor in Josh McDaniels' offense. The former 2021 Pro-Bowler has only been targeted nine times for six catches and 59 receiving yards while playing a career-low 36% of offensive snaps, meaning a fresh start could be exactly what he needs.

Having said that, what's the point of trading for Jeudy or Renfrow at this point?

While either wideout would improve the Patriots' current situation, this is a team that's well outside of the postseason picture. The AFC's final playoff team last year was the Miami Dolphins with a 9-8 record, meaning New England would have to go 8-3 down for the remainder of the year just to have a shot at an extended campaign.

On top of that, chances are Jeudy or Renfrow likely wouldn't make an immediate impact. They'd need a few weeks to learn the playbook and get up to speed, which likely wouldn't be soon enough to help the Patriots in the playoff race.

It's time to accept that New England's wideout situation is what it is at this point.

Any in-season changes would be a waste of time and resources. Fortunately, the Patriots are projected to have a top-10 pick at the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning they'll have a chance to draft a game-changing wideout like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Let's just embrace the tank and hope for a better future.

Until then, though, prepare for more of the same struggles from the Patriots' receivers

The nice thing for Chowder and Champions readers, though, is that even if we keep struggling you still get your $200. Just bet $5 on DraftKings Sportsbook after signing up through the exclusive link below and you'll automatically unlock your guaranteed $200 bonus whether your bet wins or loses!

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